Monday, July 16, 2012 1:17 PM Local Time
Robert Salaburu raised — again — to 290,000 from middle position, then Robert Corcione reraised to 690,000 from the button. The blinds quickly folded, and Salaburu tossed his cards away as well.
On the next hand, Corcione opened for 250,000 from the cutoff, then Andras Koroknai reraised to 690,000 from the button. The blinds got out, then after waiting about a minute Corcione said he was pushing all in, and Koroknai quickly folded.
Robert Salaburu | 15,950,000 | -170,000 |
Robert Corcione | 3,720,000 | 870,000 |
Andras Koroknai | 2,850,000 | -275,000 |
Monday, July 16, 2012 1:13 PM Local Time
Greg Merson entered the day with 7.435 million in chips and is the only player remaining to have won a World Series of Poker gold bracelet this year. Already today, Merson has built his stack up to over 11 million in the ESPN Main Stage.
Just a few days into July, right before the start of Main Event, Merson took to Event 57: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em - Six-Handed. He went on to win the title for over $1.1 million, which was the third largest winner's prize outside of the Main Event.
Merson is from Laurel, Maryland and a cash-game regular, with most of his experience coming from online poker. He's been open that he doesn't play many tournaments, telling WSOP.com, "I never expected to have an opportunity to realistically win one of these, because they're so tough. The $10,000 [one] especially, short-handed. It feels awesome."
Outside of winning Event 57, Merson took fifth in Event 28: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Four-Handed for over $70,000 and also finished 21st in Event 23: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em - Six-Handed for $16,850. Merson has to other WSOP cashes on record, including a finish in the money of the 2009 Main Event.
Merson can also overtake Phil Ivey atop the WSOP Player of the Year leader board if he's able to make the Octo-Nine final table. He currently sits in seventh place with 481.13 points.
Monday, July 16, 2012 1:09 PM Local Time
Jesse Sylvia raised to 240,000 under the gun and was called by Elisabeth Hille in the cutoff. The latter proceeded to call a bet of 330,000 on the flop, and then bet 455,000 when Sylvia checked the turn.
Sylvia then woke up with an all-in check-raise to 2.6 million, which prompted Hille to quickly release her hand.
Elisabeth Hille | 8,310,000 | -1,040,000 |
Jesse Sylvia | 4,545,000 | 745,000 |
Monday, July 16, 2012 1:09 PM Local Time
Monday, July 16, 2012 1:06 PM Local Time
Russell Thomas opened to 250,000 from the cutoff seat, Jan Heitmann called from the small blind, and the dealer fanned . Both players checked.
The turn was the , and Heitmann led for 210,000. Thomas called.
The completed the board, and Heitmann slowed down, checking to Thomas who fired 575,000. Heitmann called.
Thomas turned over for an ace-high flush, and Heitmann mucked his hand.
Russell Thomas | 14,900,000 | 1,000,000 |
Jan Heitmann | 3,200,000 | -1,200,000 |
Monday, July 16, 2012 1:06 PM Local Time
The Salaburu express keeps rolling along as we move through Level 30, as he takes a couple more hands.
In the first he took a few off of Yuval Bronshtein. From the big blind Salaburu called Bronshtein's preflop raise, check-called flop and turn bets, then the pair checked down the river. With the board showing , Salaburu showed and that was good enough to claim the pot.
Gaelle Baumann then raised to 250,000 from under the gun, and it folded around to Salaburu who reraised to 560,000 from the small blind. Jeremy Ausmus folded the big blind, and after thinking for a while Baumann folded.
Robert Salaburu | 16,120,000 | 820,000 |
Yuval Bronshtein | 9,100,000 | -635,000 |
Gaelle Baumann | 4,850,000 | -250,000 |
Monday, July 16, 2012 1:04 PM Local Time
Action folded around to Elisabeth Hille on the button and she raised to 250,000, which Marc Ladouceur called from the big blind. Both players checked the flop, and then Hille called a bet of 240,000 from Ladouceur on the turn. Both players returned to checking on the river, and Hille took down the pot with .
Marc Ladouceur | 15,135,000 | -70,000 |
Elisabeth Hille | 9,350,000 | 250,000 |
Monday, July 16, 2012 1:01 PM Local Time
Michael Esposito opened to 275,000 from middle position, Daniel Strelitz three-bet to 660,000 from the small blind, and Esposito responded with a four-bet to 1.875 million. Strelitz five-bet shoved for effectively 5.905 million, and Esposito called.
Strelitz:
Esposito:
There were over twelve million chips in the middle when the flop fell . The on the turn and the on the river missed Strelitz as well, doubling Esposito to 12.05 million chips.
Strelitz plummeted to 3.1 million.
Michael Esposito | 12,050,000 | 6,450,000 |
Daniel Strelitz | 3,100,000 | -5,800,000 |
Monday, July 16, 2012 12:56 PM Local Time
Robert Salaburu started things with a raise to 250,000 from under the gun, and Gaelle Baumann called from a couple of seats over. All others folded, the flop came , and both players checked quickly. The turn brought the and a bet of 300,000 from Salaburu, which Baumann called.
The river was the . Salaburu again acted quickly, firing 1 million. Baumann looked at that river card, then back down. Finally after about a half-minute Baumann called, and when Salaburu turned over for two pair, Baumann mucked.
Salaburu is off to a quick start here in the early going, having won several hands on the secondary feature table to push up over 15 million.
Robert Salaburu | 15,300,000 | 1,600,000 |
Gaelle Baumann | 5,100,000 | -1,195,000 |
Monday, July 16, 2012 12:55 PM Local Time
Daniel Strelitz opened to 240,000 from under the gun, and was called by Russell Thomas on his direct left, and Scott Abrams in the big blind.
The flop fell , and Abrams checked. Strelitz bet 345,000, and only Thomas called. The turn was the , and Strelitz led out for 615,000. Thomas called.
The completed the board, and Strelitz checked for the first time. Thomas fired 925,000, and Strelitz responded with a check-raise to 2.125 million. Thomas called.
Strelitz showed for nine-high, and Thomas tabled for two kings.
Thomas is nearing 14 million chips, while Strelitz dipped to 8.9 million.
Russell Thomas | 13,900,000 | 3,800,000 |
Daniel Strelitz | 8,900,000 | -3,890,000 |
Monday, July 16, 2012 12:48 PM Local Time
Gaelle Baumann and Elisabeth Hille are making history today. This year marks the first time since 2000 that two women have made the final 27 at the World Series of Poker Main Event when Kathy Liebert finished 17th and Annie Duke just missed the final table by finishing 10th. Barbara Enright is the only woman to make a final table at the WSOP Main Event, finishing fifth in 1995.
Here's a look at the highest finishes by women throughout the history of the WSOP Main Event:
Year | Player (finish) |
1970-1985 | none cashed |
1986 | Wendeen Eolis (25th) |
1987-1992 | none cashed |
1993 | Marsha Waggoner (19th) |
1994 | Barbara Samuelson (10th) |
1995 | Barbara Enright (5th) |
1996 | Lucy Rokach (26th) |
1997 | Marsha Waggoner (12th) |
1998 | Susie Isaacs (10th) |
1999 | none cashed |
2000 | Annie Duke (10th) |
2001-2002 | none cashed |
2003 | Annie Duke (47th) |
2004 | Rose Richie (98th) |
2005 | Tiffany Williamson (15th) |
2006 | Sabyl Cohen-Landrum (56th) |
2007 | Maria Ho (38th) |
2008 | Tiffany Michelle (17th) |
2009 | Leo Margets (27th) |
2010 | Breeze Zuckerman (121st) |
2011 | Erika Moutinho (29th) |
Monday, July 16, 2012 12:47 PM Local Time
Greg Merson raised to 250,000 from the cutoff, and Jesse Sylvia and Jamie Robbins called from the button and big blind respectively. The flop saw action go check-check to Sylvia, who bet 340,000. Only Merson made the call and it was heads-up to the turn, which both players checked.
The river saw Merson lead out for 525,000, and after a long pause, Sylvia raised to 1.14 million. After a call was made, Sylvia sheepishly revealed , which was no good against Merson's .
Greg Merson | 11,285,000 | 2,160,000 |
Jesse Sylvia | 3,800,000 | -1,955,000 |
Monday, July 16, 2012 12:45 PM Local Time
Danny Wong raised to 245,000 from middle position, and it folded around to Robert Corcione in the big blind who called. The flop came , and Corcione quickly checked. Wong took the opportunity to continue with a bet of 285,000, and Corcione called. The turn brought the and another immediate check from Corcione. Wong paused a short while, then bet 600,000. Corcione waited about 45 seconds, then called.
The river was the . Corcione checked one more time, and Wong began carving out stacks of green (25,000) chips, grabbing one orange (5,000) then pushing forward a bet of 1,005,000. Corcione waited about 10 seconds, then said he was calling.
Wong flipped over for aces, and Corcione mucked.
Danny Wong | 8,520,000 | 2,160,000 |
Robert Corcione | 2,850,000 | -2,250,000 |
Monday, July 16, 2012 12:44 PM Local Time
From the hijack seat, Russell Thomas raised to 250,000. Jacob Balsiger reraised to 525,000 out of the cutoff seat before play folded to Jan Heitmann on the button. He made it 1.1 million to go with a reraise and action moved back to Thomas. He folded, but Balsiger reraised to two million. Heitmann folded and Balsiger won the pot.
Russell Thomas | 10,100,000 | -200,000 |
Jacob Balsiger | 8,600,000 | 1,270,000 |
Jan Heitmann | 4,400,000 | -1,100,000 |
Monday, July 16, 2012 12:36 PM Local Time
Jesse Sylvia raised to 240,000 under the gun and picked up one caller in the form of David Balkin from the button. It was heads-up action to the flop, which both players checked.
When the turned, Sylvia bet 355,000, Balkin called, and the peeled off on the river. Both players returned to checking and Balkin rolled over , which was good enough to win the pot.
David Balkin | 8,275,000 | 640,000 |
Jesse Sylvia | 5,755,000 | -925,000 |
Monday, July 16, 2012 12:34 PM Local Time
After three hands with no flop on the secondary feature table, the next saw Steven Gee take some chips off of Robert Corcione.
First, Yuval Bronshtein raised from middle position, claiming the blinds and antes. Then Robert Salaburu got a walk in the big blind. In the third hand, Danny Wong opened to 245,000 from the cutoff, then saw Robert Salaburu reraise to 560,000 from the small blind. It folded back to Wong who after a half-minute laid his hand down.
Then it was Robert Corcione opening for 250,000 from early position. Steven Gee called from a couple of seats over, and Jeremy Ausmus also called from the small blind.
The dealer spread the flop — — and it checked to Gee who bet 480,000. Ausmus folded, but Corcione quickly pushed out a stack of chips to call.
The turn brought the . This time Gee bet 1,080,000, and Corcione tossed his hand away.
Steven Gee | 6,120,000 | 770,000 |
Robert Corcione | 5,100,000 | -850,000 |
Monday, July 16, 2012 12:32 PM Local Time
Percy Mahatan raised to 260,000 and received a call from Marc Ladouceur in the big blind. The flop saw Ladouceur lead out for 290,000, but fold when Mahatan raised to 625,000.
Marc Ladouceur | 15,205,000 | -670,000 |
Percy Mahatan | 7,650,000 | 900,000 |
Monday, July 16, 2012 12:32 PM Local Time
From the hijack seat, Jan Heitmann raised to 250,000. Scott Abrams reraised to 700,000 out of the big blind and Heitmann called.
On the flop, Abrams bet 710,000. Heitmann folded and Abrams won the pot.
Scott Abrams | 11,500,000 | 1,200,000 |
Jan Heitmann | 5,500,000 | -890,000 |
Monday, July 16, 2012 12:28 PM Local Time
From under the gun plus one, Nicco Maag raised all in for 1.11 million. Russell Thomas called from middle position and everyone else folded.
Maag held the and was at risk to Thomas' . Not only was Maag at risk, but he was also dominated.
The flop came down and Maag didn't find much help there. On the turn, the fell and Maag was down to needing a jack and a jack only on the river. With the turn bringing a third club to the board, Maag couldn't hit the jack of clubs.
The fell on the river and finished off Maag while giving Thomas a flush. Maag was eliminated as the first player to go on the day and earned $294,601 for his finish in 27th place.
Russell Thomas | 10,300,000 | 1,100,000 |
Nicco Maag | 0 | -1,300,000 |
Monday, July 16, 2012 12:24 PM Local Time
Robert Salaburu raised to 255,000 from middle position and got a single caller in Robert Corcione in the cutoff. The flop came and Salaburu led out for 295,000. Corcione called. The turn brought the and another bet from Salaburu, for 925,000 this time, and Corcione called again.
The river was the . Salaburu didn't wait long at all before firing another 1.5 million, and after a minute or so Corcione called. Salaburu rolled over for kings, and Corcione folded.
Robert Salaburu | 13,700,000 | 2,785,000 |
Robert Corcione | 5,950,000 | -2,795,000 |